On Board A Special Aircraft, Aug 09: Following India`s peace initiative with Pakistan, there has been a "thaw" in Indo-Pak relations but "no perceptible" change in the ground situation on the issue of cross-border terrorism, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani said today. Referring to recent increased people-to-people contacts, Advani told reporters accompanying him to Hyderabad "these are developments which indicate lessening of tension though on the ground no perceptible change is evident on the incidents of cross-border terrorism". He said, "this is a matter of concern to us and we are watching the situation". The Deputy Prime Minister said, "there is a thaw in the climate regarding relations between the two countries" as was evident from steps taken in recent months. These included resumption of the Delhi-Lahore bus service and the visit beginning today of a team of MPs and journalists to Pakistan.
Advani also referred to the recent visit of Maulana Fazlur Rahman, hardline Jamaite-ul-Islam leader, who met a cross-section of political leaders, underscoring the need for the two countries to normalise ties. Bureau Report